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Biome of the Arctic Tundra
The arctic tundra biome exists solely in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a vast, treeless plain that circles the North Pole and extends south, where it is bordered by the taiga biome. Average yearly precipitation in this region is between 6 and 10 inches and the ground is covered in a layer of permanently frozen subsoil called permafrost. Despite the inhospitable environment of the arctic tundra, approximately 1,700 plant species live in this region along with a variety of animal species, including caribou, arctic foxes, wolves and polar bears.
Biome of the Alpine Tundra
Alpine tundra exists worldwide on high-altitude mountainsides. There are no trees in alpine tundras and nighttime temperatures are normally below freezing all year round. The number of plant species found in alpine tundras is far more limited than in an arctic tundra. Animal species must be adapted to the temperatures as well as the strong winds and uneven ground. Animals found in the alpine tundra include mountain goats, sheep and elk.
The Challenge of Global Warming
The tundra biome is one of the most sensitive to climate conditions. The increasing temperatures that have resulted from global warming are shrinking the tundra biome, leaving less habitat for the animals that have adapted to living there. As global warming continues, it is possible that many of these species will become extinct because they will not be adapted to the warmer biome that replaces the tundra. They will be competing for resources against better-suited species that would migrate to the changed environment.
Species Pressured by Hunting
Overhunting is another major issue for tundra animal species, some of which cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. While hunting can be beneficial in controlling animal populations, too much hunting of specific species can lead to the extinction of that species as well as any other species that rely on it for survival. Tundra animals in danger of extinction due to hunting include wolves, arctic foxes and moose.
Oil Drilling and Habitat Disruption
Oil drilling is harmful to the tundra for several reasons. In areas that are being drilled, oil companies destroy animal habitats by clearing land for construction. Oftentimes drilling areas are sited with no regard for the migratory and herding patterns of tundra animals, causing additional problems for these animals as they find their usual routes disrupted by large drill sites. Oil spills along tundra coastlines can devastate aquatic wildlife, as the world saw when the Exxon Valdez spilled approximately 10 million barrels of oil in Prince William Sound, Alaska, in March 1989.